Music companies fear new 100-hour discs

New Scientist.com ^ | 12 March 03 | Barry Fox, Berlin

[aculeus]

The music industry this week condemned the launch of two recording systems that will let people copy between 30 and 100 hours of music onto a single disc. The launches, from electronics giants Sony and Philips, are being seen as a potential pirates' charter.

"It's a no-brainer. Anything which lets people pirate more music like this has to be very bad news for the music industry," says a spokesman for Britain's record industry trade association, the BPI.

The launches come as the global music industry suffers its worst downturn since the CD format was introduced. Free online downloading and disc copying have been widely blamed for the slump in sales.

Sony's system will use the ultra-efficient data compression system used in MiniDiscs, to squeeze 30 hours of MP3 music onto a single blank CD. The discs will play on a new generation of personal stereos, which cost less than £100. Philips's system uses a computer DVD recorder to save at least 100 hours of MP3 music on a blank DVD, which will play on a new portable DVD player.

Business model

Why Sony should want to launch a recorder that might make piracy easier may seem surprising, as its Sony Music division makes and sells CDs. While Sony Music did not want to comment on its sister company's launch, Mike Tsurumi, a president of Sony Consumer Electronics in Berlin, insists that the move makes sense. "The music companies need to change their business model," he says.

Tsurumi's colleague Simon Mori expects people to move towards downloading and paying for music from official music websites. One such site, dotmusic.com, was launched last week by telecoms company BT and 30 record firms, though at £1.49 per track, buying music this way is hardly cheap.

The International Federation for the Phonographic Industry, which is relentless in its pursuit of music pirates, has not yet said how it will react to the new recorders.

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the industry vowed to fight back by accelerating its program of producing only music that nobody would want, even for free download.

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[Temple Owl]

Sounds good to me!

[OXENinFLA]

I still say Vinyl will make a comeback.

[Centurion2000]

SWEET .... I want one of these for my car ....

[Cboldt]

Chesky Records -bump-

[TSgt]

"The music companies need to change their business model," he says.

Exactly! Quit fighting the digital age and embrace it!

[f.Christian]

Commercial (( 'professional' )) music is over ... everyone will be a rock star !

[Jhoffa_]

I don't see what the rub is. CDR's are so cheap now, what's it matter if they use 1 disk or 10 to steal music?

This doesnt sound like good logic to me. Sounds more like knee-jerkism and paranoia.

[Robert_Paulson2]

like the anti american dixie chicks and sheryl crowed?

[Redcloak]

Simple solution: Make CDs so cheap that buying a recorder for pirating makes no sense.

[Hodar]

Free online downloading and disc copying have been widely blamed for the slump in sales.

Piffle... I can buy a DVD for $18, or a CD. If I have a weekly budget of $20 for 'toys'; I'll buy the DVD. CD sales may have slumped, but DVD sales have risen over 300%, so let's blame MP3 sharing.

[Redcloak]

Don't forget about 8-tracks!

[Robert_Paulson2]

The buggy whip manufacturers are upset about the horseless carriages... so are the street sweepers...

[B Knotts]

SCRIBES FEAR NEW PRINTING PRESS; GUTENBERG CALLED SCOFFLAW

[TheLooseThread]

It is not a principled position... but the record and movie industries are so liberal that I'm hoping mp3/mpeg will lead to their downfall.

[af_vet_rr]

The record industry really hates that we have so much power to choose how, when, and where we listen to music. Maybe if they stopped thinking like dinosaurs they wouldn't have so much to worry about.

[Dead Dog]

"Commercial (( 'professional' )) music is over ... everyone will be a rock star !"

Every garage a studio, every home owner a record producer, every computer a wire service.

The supporting legs of liberalism are gone...the left is dead and they know it.

[Caipirabob]

Buggy-Whip Industry Curses Model-T as "Tool Of Satan"...

[f.Christian]

Digital // virtual entertainment ... you be the star --- office max !

The format could be traditional --- conservative !